The Straits of Malacca and Singapore is the shortest sea route forming the main seaway between the Indian Ocean (via the Andaman Sea) and the Pacific Ocean (via the South China Sea). It is also the shortest route for tankers trading between the Persian Gulf and East Asian countries. The issues of cooperation between the littoral states and the users was one of the most fundamental compromise achieved during the long negotiation for the regime of passage through straits which are used for international navigation. Malaysia acknowledges the vital role of user states, the shipping industry and of others in cooperating with the littoral states in promoting and enhancing safety of navigation and environmental protection, and in ensuring the uninterrupted flow of traffic in the Straits. Malaysia continuously furthers its effort to enhance the safety, security and environmental protection of the Straits, and thus seeks cooperative initiative measures towards providing a safe and secure navigation in the Straits.

This paper will first address the importance of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as the shortest sea route forming the main seaway between the Indian Ocean (via the Andaman Sea) and the Pacific Ocean (via the South China Sea). By using the Straits of Malacca instead of Indonesia's Lombok Straits, large tankers ferrying crude oil from the Middle East to the Far East can save up to 1,600 kilometers or roughly three days sailing time.

Secondly, the paper will elaborate the safety and security measures taken by Malaysia together with Indonesia and Singapore for the enhancement of navigational safety, security and environmental protection in the Straits. Finally, the paper will focus on issues of cooperation between the littoral states and the users of the Straits and international organizations to ensure a safe and secure navigation.

The Straits of Malacca located between the east coast of Sumatra and the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, stretches for about 621 nautical miles. The Strait of Singapore, about 100 miles long, is located between south of the island of Singapore and south eastern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, and north of Indonesian Riau islands. At its western entrance, the Malacca Strait is spacious and the littoral coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia are separated by about 200 miles of water. The Straits, however, begin to take on the shape of a funnel as vessels proceed through it in a southeasterly direction. By the time a line of latitude is reached just South of 3°N and just below One Fathom Bank, the territorial waters of Indonesia and Malaysia begin to overlap. The narrowest breadth between opposite shores of the Straits of Malacca at the southwestern tip of the Malay Peninsula is 8.4 nautical miles though the navigable channel for deep draught vessels is much less. The narrowest breadth of the Singapore Strait is only 3.2 nautical miles and throughout its length it is constantly less than 15 miles (Hamzah, 1997). At its eastern outlet into the South China Sea, where it is bounded solely by Malaysian and Indonesian shores, the breadth of the sea passage is 11.1 nautical miles.

International Relations Journal, Cooperative Initiatives, Environmental Protection, International Organizations, Malacca Strait, International Shipping Traffic, Economic Planning, Indian Maritime Doctrine, International Maritime Bureau, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Malaysian Enforcement Coordination Center, International Maritime Organisation, IMO, Quality Management System, Traffic Separation Scheme, Vessel Traffic System.